DMIP: A method for identifying potentially deliberate metaphor in discourse

Gudrun Reijnierse

Supporters and opponents of deliberate metaphor have engaged in vehement discussions about its theoretical rationale (e.g., Gibbs 2015a/b; Steen 2008, 2011, 2015). At the same time, the distinction between deliberate and non-deliberate metaphor has been applied in (corpus) analyses of metaphor (e.g., Beger 2011; Nacey 2013; Perrez & Reuchamps 2014; Ng & Koller 2013). However, a systematic procedure for the identification of deliberate metaphor is not yet available.

In this paper, we therefore introduce DMIP, a method for identifying potentially deliberate metaphor in discourse. This method examines the structures and functions of metaphor-related words without making claims about individual language users’ production or reception processes. An operational definition of deliberate metaphor is first established, based on its theoretical definition as a perspective-changer. We then propose that the change of perspective from target to source can be observed at the level of referential meaning, and apply DMIP to a series of examples from the VUAMC[1] to illustrate how potentially deliberate metaphor can be identified. We will also report the results of a series of reliability tests to show that DMIP constitutes a reliable tool for deliberate metaphor identification.

References

Beger, A. (2011). Deliberate metaphors? An exploration of the choice and functions of metaphors in US-American college lectures. Metaphorik.de 20, 39–60.